Educational Services of America, based in Nashville, owns and operates more than 120 private and charter special education schools serving some 7,800 students in 16 states. The company says it generated $75 million in revenue this year, and expects that figure to grow to $90 million next year. Profits were not disclosed.

Critics from within public education “have said it’s wrong and ineffective to turn a profit off special education students.”

ESA schools offer instruction for students with many kinds of disabilities, from mental retardation to high-functioning autism. One of its rapidly growing programs helps high school special education graduates who want college degrees.

“The idea was that there are a lot of young adults with learning disabilities, and the expectation wasn’t there that they were going to go to college,” [founder Mark] Claypool said. “And it should have been, because they’re often quite bright.”

The College Living Experience, which soon will have six campuses nationwide, allows students to live in their own apartments while teaching them how to shop for groceries, eat at restaurants and dress appropriately.

AP story on Forbes.com.

See earlier story about the company’s post-secondary program in the Chicago area.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 8th, 2007 at 3:57 am and is filed under education, post-secondary education, special education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.